Dawn of a New Day
by M. Jade
Summary: Sequel to "An Unexpected Beginning." Willow's parent's find out she's now dating Giles


Dawn of a New Day

* * *

  
Summary: Willow's parents react when they find out she's dating a certain ex-Watcher   
Rating: PG   
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at _jaderozegirl@yahoo.com_   
Spoilers: None specifically.   
Feedback :I crave it!   
Distrubution: My site, Strange Brew, obviously, all others ask.   
Disclaimers: Oh, come on! Don't you already realize that I own nothing?   
Notes: This is the second part of a series that began with "An Unexpected Beginning". More to come later, I promise :-)   
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
The road to love is never meant to be a stable path. It's jumbled, cracked, and sometimes strewn with debris. If love were easy, life would be dull, right? So whatever power or powers may be made it difficult. Another thing about love is that you never get to chose who it is you love. Sometimes life just flings the right person at you. Neither does love know any of our conventions. Society doesn't chose who we love for us. And in some cases, love is scarcer than in others. The circumstances are more difficult and that only makes the love one feels all the more precious. When one lives in a world where his or her life is at stake on a daily basis, one tends to learn quickly to hold on to whatever he or she can get. That is what brings us to Sunnydale, California. A world unto itself, surrounded by demons, vampires, witches, and any other kind of monster that one can possibly dream up. Living in this town is not easy on anyone, nor is love any easier for it's residents. So we come to one Rupert Giles and Willow Rosenberg. 

It was only in an unusual moment of clarity that the ex-Watcher and witch ever even acknowledged the idea that they could be anything other than friends. It had been something that wasn't allowed. It was something that just wasn't supposed to happen, but did none the less. It had started with some simple truths that lead to a kiss and, eventually, love. They had passed their first hurdle by telling their friends and giving away their secret, but what neither of the lovers knew was that their toughest hurdle was yet to come. They would learn the hard way that true love is never easy. 

It was a cool morning in early November as Willow made her way to her dorm room after a romantic evening with Giles. She walked in to find her roommate and resident Slayer, Buffy Summers, gathering her books for an upcoming class. "Hi, Will," she cheerily greeted her. "How did your 'research' session with Giles go last night," Buffy teased. 

"I'd guess the same as your and Riley's patrol," the hacker said nonchalantly as she began to feed the Amy-rat that lived with them. Buffy grinned. 

"Oh, good shot, Will. You're probably right," the Slayer added. The two friends grinned at each other. "Are you going to be around this afternoon," she asked her friend. 

"No. I just came by to grab a change of clothes and stuff. Then Giles is taking me out to lunch and then some movie at the Sun. It's supposed to be some romantic classic he likes. After that, we'll probably be stuck with some more research." Willow explained. Buffy shook her head. 

"I seriously think it's time you considered leaving some of your stuff at Giles', Will," Buffy said matter-of-factly. "You're over there more than you're here. The going back and forth must be getting tiring." 

"Yeah, but the good-byes are so sweet. Not to mention the hellos," Willow said dreamily. Buffy laughed as Willow headed over to her closet and began to pull out some of her clothes. 

"You have got it bad, Will." 

"Didn't we have the same discussion about Riley last week," Willow pointed out. "I think you made the same observations." 

"Yeah, but my guy isn't old enough to be my father," the Slayer pointed out. 

"Cheap shot, Buffy." 

"True, but that doesn't make it any less wiggsome. Or cute," she added, smiling. Buffy took a quick look at her watch. "Gotta go, or I'll be late to class. See you later," she said as she walked towards the door. "Have a good time. And behave!" Willow grinned as her roommate left. She quickly changed her clothes and then reached into her bag for one of her textbooks. Giles had some errands to attend to and wouldn't be coming for about another half an hour to pick her up, so she sat back with her book and set to her own studying. Willow was soon engrossed in the book and lost track of time until she suddenly heard a knock at the door. She immediately perked up, thinking that her visitor would be Giles, and happily answered her door. She opened the door to find her parents standing in the hallway. 

"Mom! Dad!" 

"Hello, honey," Sheila Rosenberg greeted her daughter. 

"Hello, Willow," Ira Rosenberg added. Willow did little to hide her shock. 

"What are you guys doing here," she ventured. 

"It's been weeks since we heard from you, dear," Sheila explained as Willow let her and Ira in and shut the door behind them. "Your father and I were worried about you." 

"Oh," Willow said meekly as she faced her parents. 

"Did you have any plans for this afternoon? We'd like to take you out for lunch," Ira said. Willow silently closed her eyes before she answered. 

"Yes. I was planning on meeting someone for lunch and then we were going to see a movie," Willow said tentatively. 

"Were you going out with your friend Bunny," Sheila asked. Willow sighed. 

"Her name is Buffy, Mom, and no. I was going with someone else." Willow had always been frustrated when it came to her parent's lack of knowledge on her part, but today it was downright infuriating. She was beginning to lose patience with them, and that was not a good sign. Willow was clearly agitated when she heard another knock at her door. She took a deep breath as she went to answer it. 

"Giles!" 

"Hello, love," he greeted her tenderly. It was about that time that he noticed Willow's visitors standing in the room, glaring at him. Willow closed her eyes and said a silent prayer as she let Giles in and once more closed the door. 

"Giles, you remember my mother Sheila, and this is my father, Ira Rosenberg," Willow said calmly as she introduced them. She tried her best to stay calm, but her heart was racing. Her parents had no idea she was dating the ex-Watcher. He was obviously nervous, because he already knew that Willow had chosen not to tell her parents about their relationship yet. Now it seemed inevitable. The fallout had begun. 

"Yes," Giles added evenly as he politely shook their hands. 

"Mom, Dad, this is Mr. Giles." Inwardly, Willow groaned. "Okay, that sounded dumb," she thought. 

"You were the librarian at Willow's school, correct," Sheila asked. Giles tried to smile as he answered her question. 

"Yes, I was." 

"Are you here on some type of business," Ira asked suspiciously. Willow looked at Giles, terrified. He nodded. She chose to answer. 

"No, Dad. He's here to take me to lunch," Willow said as simply as possible. 

"But why, Willow," Ira asked, still not getting what she had meant. "Here it comes," Willow thought. 

"Because that's usually what two people do when they're dating." 

"You can't be serious!" Ira Rosenberg did little to hide his shock. 

"Why not, Mr. Rosenberg," Giles questioned, the tiniest bit of venom seeping into his speech. 

"Because this is simply not acceptable! She's easily half your age, for God's sake!" 

"I am well aware of how old Willow is," Giles bit out. Ira was not going to let that comment go. 

"You're nearly as old as I am!" 

"Actually, Dad, he's older," Willow said sarcastically. Sheila looked wildly at her daughter. 

"Willow, if you're having some issues about male role models, this is not the way…" 

"Mother!" Sheila was silenced by Willow's outburst. "This is not good," the hacker thought to herself. Ira looked incredulously at Giles. 

"How long has this been going on," he said coldly. 

"What are you getting at," Giles asked. Willow didn't like where this was going. 

"How long have you been involved with my daughter," Ira clarified. 

"If you are insinuating that I have behaved improperly towards Willow…" Giles hissed. 

"Damn straight I am. I knew Willow spent a great deal of time in your library, but I had no idea…" Giles just glared at Ira. This had gone too far. 

"Dad," Willow shouted before Giles could reply. "That was uncalled for!" 

"Wasn't it? You know there are laws about these type of things." Willow gasped and Giles nearly took a swing at Ira before Willow physically stopped him. Willow looked at her father angrily. 

"That's not what happened at all. If you care to remember, I had a boyfriend then. His name was Oz. Giles was not a part of the picture. Of course, I'm not surprised that you've forgotten Oz. You barely even acknowledged him." 

"Willow," Sheila began. 

"No! I love Giles, mother. You can't tell me that that's wrong." Ira and Sheila were silenced by this comment. For a few moments. 

"What about this Oz? Didn't you care for him," Sheila ventured. 

"You have no idea," Willow said quietly. Giles put his hand around her shoulder sympathetically. 

"Enlighten me," Sheila demanded. 

"Yes, Mom. I loved Oz. Then he left me over a year ago. He cheated on me and then he just deserted me. And you had no fucking idea." The pain this still caused Willow was evident and both her parents knew that she was telling the truth. 

"Willow, I had…" 

"No idea! As usual. There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Mom." Ira looked over to his daughter, who was obviously becoming emotional over the memory she had just recalled. 

"Willow, your mother and I are just worried that you'll make some hasty decision you'll regret later on." 

"Well Dad," Willow cried out as she began to sob, the emotion overtaking her. "You're about a year and a half late on that one." Ira was shocked. 

"Willow!" 

"Sorry to ruin your image of me as some virtuous virgin, Dad, but it's simply not true." Giles put a protective arm around the sobbing redhead as Ira glared at him. 

"I swear, if you have even touched her…" 

"Dad, don't. You're already too late as it is." Ira stared at his daughter, then turned his attention back to Giles. 

"This is not the daughter we raised," he said coldly. 

"I'm surprised you have any idea what kind of woman Willow is at all," Giles returned. 

"What the hell does that mean?" Willow looked up, her sobs dying in her throat as she waited to hear Giles' reply. 

"I have sat by for over three years and watched as you neglected her. You have barely been around for as long as I have known her and now suddenly you know what's best for Willow?" Ira was angry. Giles released Willow as he faced her father. 

"How dare you," Ira shot back. Giles shook his head vehemently. 

"I refuse to stand by and let you treat you daughter this way." Sheila's eyes were wide. She was clearly concerned by Giles' remark. 

"Mr. Giles, I think we know our daughter a lot better than you…" 

"Then you should act like it instead of sitting around like two prats!" Sheila put her hand on Ira's shoulder to calm him as she answered. 

"Mr. Giles, Ira and I are simply concerned about Willow." 

"It's about bloody time," Giles hissed as Willow shut her eyes tightly in an effort to block out the developing fight. 

"Don't you get smart," Ira yelled. "We know what his best for our daughter." Willow was now beginning to tremble as she tried to calm an angry Giles. It didn't work. 

"The hell you do!" 

"Dad, Giles…" 

"You bastard," Giles added. 

"Stop it," Willow screamed. This was not the way Willow had wanted this afternoon to go at all. Everyone else in the room was stunned by her sudden outburst and turned their attention to the hacker. "Just stop it, both of you! You're driving me crazy! I don't want to see you fighting this way." 

"Willow," Giles started, but she automatically shushed him. 

"Because there's something I need to tell you," she interrupted him. She looked directly into his eyes and took a deep breath as she continued. "All of you," she empathized as he returned her gaze. "I'm pregnant." 

The room abruptly went silent.   
  
  


The End

Read the Next "Unexpected"

"A Veiled Image"

  
  



End file.
